Product Description
Culture Smart! provides essential information on attitudes, beliefs and behavior in different countries, ensuring that you arrive at your destination aware of basic manners, common courtesies, and sensitive issues. These concise guides tell you what to expect, how to behave, and how to establish a rapport with your hosts. This inside knowledge will enable you to steer clear of embarrassing gaffes and mistakes, feel confident in unfamiliar situations, and develop trust, friendships, and successful business relationships.

Culture Smart! offers illuminating insights into the culture and society of a particular country. It will help you to turn your visit-whether on business or for pleasure-into a memorable and enriching experience. Contents include:

* customs, values, and traditions
* historical, religious, and political background
* life at home
* leisure, social, and cultural life
* eating and drinking
* do's, don'ts, and taboos
* business practices
* communication, spoken and unspoken

"Culture Smart has come to the rescue of hapless travellers." Sunday Times Travel

"... the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries." Global Travel

"...full of fascinating-as well as common-sense-tips to help you avoid embarrassing faux pas." Observer

"...as useful as they are entertaining." Easyjet Magazine

"...offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world." New York Times ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A fun guide to Iran
Even though this small booklet is considered to be a travel guide, it is very well written. Detailed and factual. It gives a great image/impression of the Iranian people, their traditions and the country itself. It's short but fun to read. I laughed a lot while reading it. It really captured the meaning of being an Iranian. Fun Stuff and practical. Almost every thing in this little book makes sense and is true. Apparently the author has done his homework on Iran. Politics aside (no one gets the Iranian politics correctly any ways so I am willing to cut him some slack there) this tiny book does a good job. Buy this if you're traveling to/thru Iran. Have fun!!! ... Read more

Product Description
The eyes of the world are on Iran, from nuclear issues to women's rights to Iran's perspective on Palestine. Yet a strictly political view does not allow for an accurate of complete outlook on this important and fascinating country. In Among the Iranians, Greek-born author Sofia A. Koutlaki shares the lessons she's learned firsthand as a foreigner living in Tehran. Through memorable anecdotes and in-depth explanations of Iranian customs, Koutlaki presents a side of Iran that foreigners rarely see. The author's insight challenges reader to dispel their previous notions and judgements to see Iran at its heart-- warm, inviting and rich with tradition. Among the Iranians is also an indispensable practical guide, offering insight about Iranian dress, etiquette and even food. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent book for anyone spending time in Iran
I ordered this book before I came to Iran for the summer to study Persian and travel around the country and it has proved to be invaluable. I stayed with an Iranian family and many aspects of the culture were new for me despite the fact that I have spent many years living in other Middle Eastern countries. Iranian culture and society is very sophisticated and for those who wish to go beyond the surface of Iran and to really experience life here, a good knowledge of culture and society is necessary to show respect. I read through the whole book and then kept on going back to it as a reference book whenever I encountered something that I didn't understand or didn't know how to respond to. The author covers every minor and major custom and tradition in Iranian society and is very comprehensive, discussing everything from how to navigate the famous Persian custom of ta'roof, how to dress for a wedding, to what gifts to bring for different occasions and which shoes or sandals you should or shouldn't wear inside and outside the house. As a foreign woman married to an Iranian and living in Iran for a number of years, the author's personal narratives about her experiences in Iran are also insightful and a good read.

If you plan on traveling through Iran or staying for a longer period of time, this book should be the first book on your list! ... Read more

Product Description
When Naser al-Din Shah, who ruled Iran from 1848 to 1896, claimed the title Shadow of God on Earth, his authority rested on pre-modern conceptions of sacred kingship. By 1941, when Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi came to power, his claim to authority as the Shah of Iran was infused with the language of modern nationalism. In short, between roughly 1870 and 1940, Iran's traditional monarchy was forged into a modern nation-state. In "Nationalizing Iran", Afshin Marashi explores the changes that made possible this transformation of Iran into a social abstraction in which notions of state, society, and culture converged. He follows Naser al-Din Shah on a tour of Europe in 1873 that led to his importing a new public image of monarchy - an image based on the European late imperial model - relying heavily on the use of public ceremonies, rituals, and festivals to promote loyalty to the monarch.Meanwhile, Iranian intellectuals were reimagining ethnic history to reconcile "authentic" Iranian culture with the demands of modernity.From the reform of public education to the symbolism surrounding grand public ceremonies in honour of long-dead poets, Marashi shows how the state invented and promoted key features of the common culture binding state and society. The ideological thrust of that century would become the source of dramatic contestation in the late twentieth century. Marashi's study of the formative era of Iranian nationalism will be valuable to scholars and students of history, political science, and anthropology, as well as journalists, photographers, and other close observers of contemporary Iran. Afshin Marashi is assistant professor of history at California State University at Sacramento. ... Read more

Product Description
Examines intricate connections among visual, religious, and cultural traditions.

In this pioneering book Negar Mottahedeh explores the central issues of vision and visibility in Iranian culture. She focuses on historical and literary texts to understand the use of visual culture in the production of the contemporary nation. Tracing the historical mediation and dissemination of ideas for national reform in the modern period of Iran, the book examines the various discourses that have constituted the image of the "Babi."

As cinema began to displace other forms of Iranian entertainment, Islamic culture attempted to keep the motion picture industry free from what it perceived to be the taint of foreign values and intervention. With rich insight and compelling detail, Mottahedeh looks at the revealing ways in which Iranian cinema has dealt with representing the unpresentable. In her exploration of gender and Iranian film, the author argues powerfully against contemporary uses of veiling in the representation of Iran as a modern nation. This highly original work, signaling a paradigm shift in Iranian studies and gender studies, will be an invaluable resource for scholars. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Wonderful and Acurate
This is an excellent introduction to Persian Culture.If you want better, you'll have to spend quite a bit more money.My native Irani friend's native Irani mother said that she was ashamed that a westerner could write so accurately on a subject about which she had forgotten much.She herself ended up reading, enjoying, and praising this book about her own culture.That alone should say it all.While no volume, not even the $3420 Encyclopedia Iranica, could possibly cover everything, O'Shea's book taught me a variety of useful information in an entertaining way, and helped me to understand and appreciate my Irani friends better.This book is best read while interacting frequently with Iranians, otherwise it might not be as enjoyable.

Best one-stop introduction to Iran
Maria O'Shea has written an indispensable book for the visitor to Iran. She manages to combine humor, wit, and ironic distance with the incredible breadth and depth of knowledge about the people and the culture that canonly come from living there. Her book will be especially useful toWesterners who have to deal with Iran because she has clearly already doneall the homework. She sees the Iranians whole, with all their foibles, butnot without affection and an abiding appreciation of a very old culturethat is too often misrepresented in the West. It's a good read even if youaren't going there. ... Read more

Product Description
Politics of Culture in Iran is the first comprehensive study of modern anthropology within the context of Iranian studies and politics in the twentieth century.

This book analyzes the ways in which anthropology and culture in Iran has interacted with Iranian politics and society. In particular it highlights how and why anthropology and culture became part of wider socio-political discourses and how they were appropriated and rejected by the pre- and post- revolutionary regimes. The author shows that there have been three main phases of Iranian anthropology, corresponding broadly to three periods in the social and political development of Iran and include:

DT The Period of Nationalism: lasting approximately from the Constitutional Revolution (1906-11) and the end of the Qajar dynasty until the end of Reza Shah's reign (1941).
DT The Period of Nativism: from the 1950s until the Islamic Revolution (1979)
DT The Post-Revolutionary Period

This book also places Iran within an international context by demonstrating how western anthropological concepts, theories and methodologies affected epistemological and political discourses in Iranian anthropology. Politics of Culture in Iran is essential reading for those with interests in Iranian society and politics and anthropology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent
Purchased this book for my class when studying ancient civilizations and Iran. Wonderful and informative . I have purchased the author's other book "Iran's Diverse Peoples' and have always enjoyed her work. The book is one of a kind in the market and holds much information that I could not find anywhere else.The pictures areamazing quality ! ... Read more

Product Description
Fifteen Iranian women talk intimately about all aspects of their lives from domestic concerns to professional issues. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Intriguing, yet poorly written
This book gave me new perspective on Iranian culture. Kousha discussed issues that are most pertinent to women in Iran: mother-daughter relationships, husband-wife relationships, and the different experiences and expectations regarding education and careers.

While the content was interesting, the book was repetitive. For example, on page 54, it says, "Most often, children assume the mother's attitude and beliefs toward the father before they ever get a chance to know him on their own." Two paragraphs later, on page 55, it says, "children assume the mother's attitude toward the father before they themselves have ever had the opportunity to know their father."

If I were to disregard the repetitive nature of the book, it would rate higher.

From family ties to cherished bonds of matrimony
Mahnaz Kousha's impressive work, Voices From Iran: The Changing Lives Of Iranian Women reveals the rapidly-changing lives of modern Iranian women and is recommended for college-level students. From family ties to cherished bonds of matrimony, this considers all aspects of Iranian women's experiences. ... Read more

Product Description
Provides a basic introduction to contemporary Iran - the land that was ancient Persia. This book lets you imagine life in this land of earthquakes, sand storms, and extreme weather, from burning hot deserts to the humid shores of the Caspian Sea to freezing cold mountains. ... Read more

Product Description
Discover the rich and varied history of Iran through this amazing, newly-revised book. Ancient dynasties and modern revolutions are presented in an easy-to-read yet detailed manner. Full-colour pictures and illustrations bring Iran's diverse customes to life, while informative boxes focus on key events and aspects relevant to the Iranian people. ... Read more

Product Description
Deals with ancient religions, colourful dances, and sweet music. This book focuses on Iran's culture. It helps you learn how to celebrate the new year with the festival of Nowrouj, discover the delights of delicious Iranian cuisine, and marvel at Iran's traditional crafts of carpet-weaving, pottery, and metalwork. ... Read more

Product Description

By exploring topics such as the Internet, print press, advertising, satellite television, video, rock music, literature, cinema, gender, religious intellectuals, and secularism, this unique and wide-ranging volume explains Iran as a complex society that has successfully managed to negotiate and embody the tensions of tradition and modernity, democracy and theocracy, isolation and globalization, and other such cultural-political dynamics that escape the explanatory and analytical powers of all-too-familiar binary relations.

Featuring contributions from among the best-known and emerging scholars on Iranian media, culture, society, and politics, this volume uncovers how the existing perspectives on post-revolutionary Iranian society have failed to appreciate the complexity, the paradoxes and the contradictions that characterize life in contemporary Iran, resulting in a general failure to explain and to anticipate its contemporary social and political transformations.

Product Description
Explores the geography, history, government, economy, people, and culture of Iran. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

One of the great lands of the middle east
This book about Iran makes the coutry much more interesting to learn about that include different things like the people which include: The Persians (51%), Kurds, Azeris, Baluchis, Lurs, Arabs, Georgians, Armenains, and Jews. And the religion which the majority of Iranians follow Shia Islam (89-90%). ... Read more

Product Description
"In his case study of the 1979 Islamic revolution, Salehi discusses the role of culture and religion in a modern society. The author examines Shi'ism as a vehicle of political activism and dissent and provides an insider's view of events leading to the 1979 Iranian revolution. . . . The author suggests that modernization theory and single-factor causes of revolution be examined in a holistic manner. . . . Salehi explains that this approach neither ignores nor discounts the significance of facts. The book provides an interesting perspective on the psychological undercurrents of life in an oppressive society. A rich source of information on the Islamic revolution." Choice ... Read more

Product Description

Iran is often a hotspot in the news, and the Muslim state is usually negatively portrayed in the West. Culture and Customs of Iran rejects facile stereotyping and presents the rich, age-old Persian culture that struggles with pressures of the modern world. This is the first volume in English to reveal the important sociocultural facets of Iran today for a general audience in an objective fashion. Authoritative, substantive narrative chapters cover the gamut of topics, from religion and religious thought to Iranian cuisine and festivals.

Customer Reviews (1)

A most interesting introduction to Iranian culture
The latest title in the series 'Culture and Customs' lives up to the high standard of the other works. Here we have a valuable introduction to the history and folk culture of the Iranian people, covering such topics as rites of passage, family life and festivals etc. As usual a glossary (in this case comprised mainly of Farsi terms) is provided as an aid to the reader.
Iran is often portrayed by the Western media in a very biased and negative way. However, if one reads this marvellous book one can get a true glimpse of the real Iran and experience a taste of the rich culture of the Iranian people. Sadly this rich culture and unique way of life is under threat by the West. After causing a devastating war between Iran and her neighbour Iraq, America now wants the pretext to cause more problems in Iran. Now with the dubious logic of 'preemptive war', it is not necessary for any country to have acted aggressively - they are still vulnerable to attack.
At last in Iran there is a leader who has already made major reforms and progress. The Hon. president Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has a social conscience and has done a great deal to improve life for people in his country. His wisdom and compassion was also seen by his humane act in releasing the British spies caught violating Iranian territory the year before last. He would have been acting entirely within his rights if he had detained them for longer. Possibly during that episode, certain evil forces in the west had hoped that he would have acted impuslively (as they would have done) and thus have precipitated a situation whereby they had the pretext to hurt once again the Iranian people.
Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has often been misquoted and has been wrongly accused as being an antisemitist. He is not! The Jewish population in Iran (who prefer to live there than in Israel) have enjoyed great freedom under his regime. Indeed, any hypothetical atrocities committed against Iranians or other fellow muslims would only make their existence precarious, putting their safety in jeapordy. I do not believe that hospitable Iranian people would ever harm their Jewish or Zoroastrian minorities; however, it is possible that dark forces such as a Mosad or CIA agent could inflict some casualties on the Jewish community in Iran (as has been done in Jewish synagogues in Istanbul etc. ) and then blame it on the Iranians. Zoroastrianism (Iran's oldest native religion akin to that of the Parsis in India) also flourishes undisturbed. In addition to all the interesting (Shiite)muslim holidays, the book also provides details about folk festivals such as Now Ruz (New Year) on March 21st which have their roots in Zoroastrianism.
Wehn Mr. Ahmadinejad declares that the nuclear energy in his country is intended only for peaceful purposes then I believe him. However, this very fact may well mean that Iran (and the rich culture seen in this book) is in danger. I believe it was Benjamin Franklin who once said that the only way to preserve peace was to prepare for war. Iraq was attacked for the very reason that they did NOT have any proper weapons to defend themselves. Despite lies to the contrary, the Anglo-American oppressors knew very well in advance that Iraq could not defend herself. In a cowardly way they had even demanded that Iraq reduce conventional weapons to appease her enemies. However, once it was sure that Iraq could not repel an evil occupation, war was imminent. At one time Saddam Husein was friendly with the west and imposed by them on the Iraqi people. Now, like the treacherous 'friends' they were, they have gone against the Iraqi people. The same is true of Afghanistan (incidentally the companion volume 'Culure and Customs of Afghanistan' is also highly recommended!). When Rambo was there fighting against the Soviet army, the Afghani Taliban regime was good; however, now it no longer suits Rambo's purposes, he suddenly finds the same allies evil.
Although I am against nuclear weapons, I do not like to have to admit that perhaps the only security we all have NOT to see those existing weapons (of Israel and America) ever used is if other nations can also have their own weapons of defence. Israel and America will never commit any evil crime against the peaceful Iranian people if they realise the full consequences that would invariably follow if they ever did so. Since Israel is given too many weapons of mass destruction, perhaps other states should be similarly armed as a balance. Possibly the only way to avoid seeing the utter devastation of a nuclear bomb is if modern Iran acquires their owntoo as a deterrent. This is why North Korea has not been victim to a cowardly attack - and this is why the genocide/holocaust is taking place now in Palestine. The poor Palestinians do not even have decent antiaircraft guns to defend their civilians against Israeli Apache helicopters bombing civilians.
Reading this book gives one a colourful insight into a fascinating living culture. It is my hope that the rich culture described in these pages will go on living for centuries to come in peace and without any evil threat. ... Read more

Product Description
These essays examine Iran's place in the world--its relations and cultural interactions with its immediate neighbors and with empires and superpowers from the beginning of the Safavid period in 1501 to the present day. The book provides important historical background on recent political and social developments in Iran and on its contemporary foreign relations. The topics explored include Iranian influence abroad on political organization, religion, literature, art, and diplomacy, as well as Iran's absorption of foreign influences in these areas. A special focus is the prevailing political culture of Iran throughout its early modern and contemporary periods.

The authors combine approaches from history, political science, anthropology, international relations, and cultural studies. Some essays address Iran's interactions with various Arab and Turkic ethnicities in the region stretching from India to Egypt. Others examine its relations with the West during the Qajar and Pahlavi eras, women's issues, culture inside Iran during the Islamic Republic, and the Shi`ite theocracy of Iran as compared with other Muslim states. ... Read more

Product Description
After reviewing knowledge of Iron Age Iran, the authors look in detail at the highly developed social institutions of the Achaemenid Empire, most notably at state administration, agrarian relations, monetary systems, slavery and trade. A wide-ranging discussion of that culture covers such topics as the religion of the Ancient Iranians, ethnic and cultural contacts with the Achaemenid Empire, and superstitious and scientific practices in the ancient Near East during the sixth to the fourth centuries B.C. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Culture of Ancient Iran
This is a very useful book for those with an intermediate level of knowledge and understanding of Ancient Persia. It is an excellent companion to their other book on the Political History on the same topic. Although it is well referenced, it is a smooth read. ... Read more